This Doctor, learned though he was, for "In all this world to him there
was none like To speak of physic and of surgery," and "He knew the cause
of every malady," yet was he not indifferent to the more material side of
life. "Gold in physic is a cordial; Therefore he loved gold in special."
The problem that the Doctor propounded to the assembled pilgrims was
this. He produced two spherical phials, as shown in our illustration, and
pointed out that one phial was exactly a foot in circumference, and the
other two feet in circumference.
"I do wish," said the Doctor, addressing the company, "to have the exact
measures of two other phials, of a like shape but different in size, that
may together contain just as much liquid as is contained by these two."
To find exact dimensions in the smallest possible numbers is one of the
toughest nuts I have attempted. Of course the thickness of the glass, and
the neck and base, are to be ignored.
[Illustration]